Who Built Castle Volkihar?

[MysticMalevolence]

Castle Volkihar is a grim and foreboding place. Certainly fitting,considering its inhabitants are all vampire lords.
Or, they are now.

What is known: Castle Volkihar was built sometime in the Merethic era.[www.uesp.net]
It's architecture is unlike ancient nord architecture, by a longshot; the architecture it is closest to is the central chamber in Dimhollow Crypt, which was built by vampires.
There's a few statues of Mara, so whoever built the place followed her for a time.
And, from what Serana says when you first visit the Volkihar docks, it wasn't built by the vampires...
Who, then? It wasn't the ancient nords, it wasn't the vampires...

[Clever Monkey]

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Volkihar

doesn't say but it was probably vampire slaves and thralls. maybe Molag bal himself, well his cultist anyways.

[MysticMalevolence]

But that presents two problems.
1) We know the vampires don't follow Mara.
2) Serana mentions that the undercroft was used for bringing in supplies, and that it didn't get much use when "they" moved in.*

*Sure would be more convincing if I could find the quote, eh?

[Clever Monkey]

ok hear me out, mara statues?
I searched Mara lore
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Gods_M
Mara, Goddess of Love

Mara, Goddess of Love, patron of the bountiful earth, and source of mortal compassion and understanding. Nearly revered as a universal goddess, her origins are in mythic times as a fertility goddess. In Skyrim, Mara is a handmaiden of Kyne. In the Empire, she is Mother-Goddess, worshipped at the Benevolences of Mara. She is sometimes associated with Nir of the 'Anuad', the female principle of the cosmos that gave birth to creation. Depending on the religion, she is either married to Akatosh or Lorkhan, or the concubine of both. She gave the Nerevarine her blouse and skirt.

handmaiden of kyne?
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Kyne
Nords still refer to themselves as "the Sons and Daughters of Kyne
While Nords also acknowledge Mara, the "Mother-Goddess" of the Empire, they view her only as Kyne's handmaiden


so obviously nords but a stronger believer in Mara than others or a token castle to mara.
or more obviously a Mara sect perhaps as a refugee station to highrock.

all speculation really because it doesn't say anything concrete.

[★Kelvy★]

By a backroom delv working at Beth., watching a disney spooky film.

[Clever Monkey]

no mickey mouse staues so mara was the next best thing?